Raul Castro Attended
Russian Orthodox
Cathedral Consecration
Havana - Cuban President
Raul Castro attended on
Sunday the consecration
of the Saint Cathedral
Our lady of Kazan, of
the Russian Orthodox
Church, built in this
capital.Moscow Patriarch
Lauds Eye Surgery in
Cuba
The beautiful building,
in the capital"s
historic center, was
opened with a ceremony
officiated by His
Eminence Kiril
Metropolita of Smolensk
and Kaliningrad and
president of Moscow"s
Patriarchate Religious
Foreign Affairs
Department.
Kiril heads the
ecclesiastical group of
the Russian delegation,
which is visiting the
Island to participate in
the activities for the
Day of Russia in Cuba,
as part of a tour of
several Latin American
countries to present
culture and traditions.
Historian of the city of
Havana Eusebio Leal said
that after four years
working, they were
proceeding to present
the work, which was
especially approved by
the Revolution"s leader
Fidel Castro.
He called it as a symbol
of friendship and
solidarity, as well as
the cemetery, located in
the outskirts of Havana
that keeps the remains
of collaborators and
military officers from
that country that have
proved their solidarity
with Cuba and will never
be forgotten, he said.
I wish good health to
the Russia"s Great
Patriarch Alexei II, and
the Russian people,
unswerving friend of the
largest of the Antilles,
said Leal.
His Eminence Kiril
asserted that this day
will be recalled for
hundreds of years. He
remembered his meeting
with Fidel Castro, years
ago, and praised his
decision of supporting
contruction of this
Cathedral.
This is an monument to
the Russian-Cuban
friendship and to all
efforts that preserved
our relations, even in
the most difficult
moments of the Cold War,
as well as a part of the
holy Russia in Cuba, he
asserted.
He thanked President
Raul Castro and all
Cubans for making this
project come true, with
national resources, and
said there is no other
example of a similar
building in the world,
made by the people of
the country where it is
located.
Then, he gave
decorations signed by
Patriarch Alexei II,
honoring their work to
achieve this objective
to Caridad Diego, head
of the Office for
Religious Affairs of the
Cuban Communist Party
Central Committee and
historian Eusebio Leal.
Other Cuban leaders that
attended the ceremony
were State Council
Vicepresident Esteban
Lazo, Ricardo Alarcon,
Parliament president,
and Ricardo Cabrisas,
vicepresident of the
Minister Council.
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